Blogger Friend School Assignment

Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling. Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back. Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.

This is a tough one for me. And it is my very first assignment!

I was sent to public school as a child ( in the 80's). Both my parents worked, and it was the normal thing to do. I had friends, but I wasn't popular. There were groups that students wanted to be a part of..the jocks, the preps, etc. Who was going where, and who was dating who seemed to be more important in school. Drinking and smoking were very popular as well. If I had to sum it all up in a few words....I didn't like public school!

I had read about homeschooling in books and newspapers. It wasn't even a thought in my mind until I was pregnant with my son. My husband and I discussed it, and said it was a possibility, but not set in stone.

Then when my son was 2, my husband had his first open heart surgery. We quickly ran up a $30,000 medical debt. And that was with insurance! We quickly learned that I would have to work to help pay it off. I stayed home with my son until he was 5 and started preschool. I would work half days, and my mom would pick my son up after his 3 hours at school. Then, on the day of my sons Kindergarten orientation, my husband had his second open heart surgery. The surgeon said the reason he kept getting heart infections is because he had a low immune system. And when a virus attacks, it goes to weakest part of the body, which is his heart. The doctors told us to try to keep him from getting sick. We quickly found out, that public school is definitely the place to pick up germs. My son was getting sick every other month. He even brought the Flu home. We all got sick because of it.

When he finished the school year, we decided to homeschool. We were both scared, and my son was a little confused. Last year was our first year homeschooling. It was rough in the beginning, since I was now his teacher, and not just mom. But, by the end of the year we had the hang of it. I was super nervous for our evaluation. I just about had a panic attack. But I went, and the evaluator said we did very well, and were very organized. WHEW!!!! I was sooooooooo happy!

So I can happily say, we are homeschoolers for life! Not just because of my husbands health issues, but because of how my son is. He learned a lot of bad habits and attitudes in Public School. We now have our sweet happy child back! We get to spend more time together, go at a faster or slower pace in certain subjects, and explore more than in Public School. We even read the Bible as part of our home school. That would never happen in Public School!!

I believe God had it in our plan all along, he just wanted us to see both sides! I'm glad he did!

My goals for my son, are that he becomes a good Christian man, graduates high school, and picks a profession that he will be excited to go to every day. A job that fulfills his heart.

My favorite verse, that I absolutely believe in.....

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 KJV